


The Return of the Serpent Prince

by BugheadjonesTheThird



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: F/M, Jealous Jughead, Serpent Prince, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 18:37:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13370733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugheadjonesTheThird/pseuds/BugheadjonesTheThird
Summary: Jughead Jones is back in Riverdale High, and seeing all those guys around Betty leaves him extremely uncomfortable. He knew it was none of his business anymore, but—Why the hell were they flirting with her? [ Note: In this story, neither of them kissed other people. I don’t feel like adding to this drama with this one-shot, so… Don’t worry about that.]





	The Return of the Serpent Prince

**Author's Note:**

> Initially, this was something that I felt like I had to get out of my head, but I guess it turned out longer than just a small idea… Nonetheless, I’m quite happy with the result, and I think you guys will have a good time while reading this one! Have fun, and please, tell me what you think!

That guy was certainly an asshole.

Jughead didn’t even know him, but he was already listed as an asshole amongst some other dudes that had dared to do the same asshole-ish thing about 30 minutes before. That guy— a tall, blond jock, whose name didn’t matter for the history of Riverdale, therefore would be called The-Third-Period-Asshole— was leaning against the locker just across the hall, with a silly smile plastered on his face. He had his right arm lifted in order to show off his muscles, and apart from all the things that made him worthy of hanging with the likes of Reggie Mantle, that _asshole_ was openly flirting with Betty.

All those flirty smiles, fake giggles and the whole showing off was all an attempt on getting the girl’s attention, and if he didn’t know her better, Jughead would say she was even falling for that.

Betty was smiling back. She was giving that guy one of her polite, Alice-Cooper smiles, and even if Jughead couldn’t actually hear their conversation, he could tell she wasn’t really interested in that guy or in any of the others who had approached her that day. They had all tried many kinds of approaches, and apart from the lack of creativity, he was really impressed by the number of guys that had come to her even before the 4th period.

Was there some kind of bet among those idiots? Or perhaps had she started some kind of study group again? He certainly didn’t know, but to say he was happy would be a serious misjudgment.

Jughead knew they weren’t together anymore, and logically, he also knew he didn’t have the right to be bothered by any of those guys, but that whole thing was a lot easier said than done.

He didn’t break up with her because he wanted to, after all. He broke up with her so she would be safe from him and from that emblem on the back of his leather jacket. He forced himself to walk away from her on that dirty parking lot, and from that day on, his heart feels heavier than ever. And now, as he watched The-Third-Period-Asshole hitting on her, a mix of anger, impatience and hunger started to take over his body.

Jughead had to do something. He had to calm himself down, and he had to find out why the hell those guys were gathering around her like flies around a piece of rotten meat.

Betty Cooper is certainly not rotten meat. She’s the finest piece of filet mignon of the market, and if not for the sight of Kevin Keller walking in front of him, the Jones boy would’ve definitely walked over to the girl to compliment her in meaty ways.

“ Kevin!” He called, lifting his hand up as to make himself seen. His sweet friend turned his eyes towards Jughead, and he looked quite surprised to actually be called by the raven haired boy. “ Can you come here? I kinda need to ask you something…”

The Sheriff’s son still had a confused expression across his face, but walked over to where Jughead was standing, nonetheless. The Jones boy was leaning against the gray lockers, his arms crossed over his chest and a pout plastered on his lips. The Keller kid couldn’t help but notice a certain uneasiness in his broody friend, as blue eyes constantly drifted to glare at something— or rather, someone, as he eventually discovered— while they both stood together on the hallway, and at that moment, the brown haired boy knew even his father could tell where that talk would take them.

Jughead was jealous. And— oh, that was reverting.

“ Well, it’s not like such a commoner like me can say no to the young serpents’ leader, right?” Kevin said, shifting his position as to lean his weight over his right leg. He was holding his books against his hips, and his lips were pressed into a thin like before he resumed talking. “ How can I help you, Jughead?”

“ You see… You’re Betty’s best friend, so you should probably know…” Jughead started, bitting his lip as to try to hold back the annoyance in his voice. “ Why are all those guys around Betty? Is she somehow helping them study or something?”

Kevin’s expression remained blank for a while, as he simply studied the Jones’ face. His brows frowned, and soon, he was offering Jughead one of his famous, judging— yet sweet— stares. “ Helping them study? Are you serious?”

“ Well, I don’t know…” He shrugged, a pout still on his lips. “ That could be the only explanation why they’re all after her, right?”

“ Oh my god… Straight guys are so obnoxious.”

“ Knock it off, Keller! Did she join any group or something like that to explain all those douches?”

“ Oh, she definitely joined the Single Students group."

“ Excuse me?”

“ Oh, come on, Jughead. You can’t seriously believe there are guys around Betty only when they need help with their studies.”

“ If not that, then why are they—“

“ Because she’s hot, Jughead!” The Serpent’s lips parted in awe at the way Kevin voiced those words, and suddenly, was as if something hit him really hard in the stomach. " You better than anyone should know that. She’s hot, and mostly, she’s available!”

His blue eyes widened, and Jughead could feel his heart beating faster in a feeling he couldn’t quite explain. For the first time in years, Jughead was left speechless, as nothing came up in his mind for him to contradict his friend. He was shocked, and mostly, he didn’t like hearing his own thoughts being said by someone else in such a straight way.

Apparently, Kevin was really his father’s son.

“ I-I still… I don’t…”

“ Oh, lord, I didn’t pick you for a guy of looks instead of brains, Jones.” Kevin sighed, massaging his temples. After taking a deep breath, he calmed down and decided to go easier on Jughead. It was not like his life was allowing him to ratiocinate lately. “ Look, I’m sorry for saying it like that. I know you guys have been going through a lot lately, so let me try to rephrase it all.” He scratched the back of his head, as he watched Jughead’s face getting sadder at the sound of the blonde’s laughter. “ You see… Even if she’s not aware of it, Betty is the most beautiful girl of this school. She’s smart, she’s sweet and she’s gorgeous with those green, baby-doll eyes of hers. Every boy in school would’ve died to have a chance with her, but she never paid any attention to them. Not when she still believed in that whole Archie thing and— well… Not when she had you.”

Jughead nodded at Kevin, finally following his words. He didn’t like to hear that last part as a past sentence, for, regardless of anything, Betty _still_ has him. She always will. The writer placed his hands inside his pockets, and waited for his friend to continue. “ You guys got together, then, and people respected that. I mean, you guys were Bughead, aka the cutest couple of Riverdale. Always sleuthing together, solving Jason’s murder and being there for each other. It was really sweet, and everyone respected that enough to leave her alone, even if you have always been a loser— no offense.” He said, apologetic, to which Jughead simply shrugged. It was the truth, after all.

“ None taken…”

“ Good, uh… Well, and then everything happened and you moved to the South Side. The douches of this school even thought about bugging her, at first, but then you became a Serpent and they were all kinda afraid of you and your new, dangerous friends.”

“ And why aren’t they afraid anymore? I’m still a Serpent and I’m closer than ever now that the schools have merged. Following your logic, shouldn’t they leave her alone?”

“ Well, they should if you guys were still… You know, together. After the rumors that you broke up with her because of that pink haired chick, they all figured it would be safe to go after our beloved, girl next door.”

“ What!? Toni was not the reason why we broke up! That’s ridiculous!”

“ Well, I know that. You know it, too, and so does Betty, but they don’t. They should, because, you know, you’re not Archie, and you wouldn’t be that much of an idiot to choose that disrespectful girl with weird hair and—“

“ Kevin. Focus.”

“ Oh, sorry… It’s just that she insulted THE ponytail. Still, my point is: You guys are not a couple anymore. And even if I totally shipped Bughead and got pretty sad when Betty told me what happened, I’m glad she’s receiving all this attention now.”

“ What the hell, Keller?!” Jughead placed his hands on his hips, clearly feeling all that anger boiling up inside him. He suddenly started to get mad at Kevin for his words, and he knew there was no logic behind his reaction. Still, it was not like he could hold it back. “ You know all these guys are douches! She’s so much better than all of them!”

“Oh, I know… Betty is a lot better than all of us, but… I like the idea of my best friend feeling appreciated and wanted. She looked like shit when you guys broke up, and as a friend with protective instincts, I can’t not be happy to see her better. So, as her friend, unless you’re willing to solve things and make her happy again, Jones, I won’t let you hurt her anymore. Nothing personal.”

The confidence and firmness on Kevin’s voice shook something inside Jughead, and suddenly, the amicable atmosphere around them became serious and the tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The Sheriff’s son was definitely showing how intimidating he could be in front of the serpent’s prince, and the way he didn’t even flinch when standing up to Betty was certainly admirable.

Kevin has always been a god friend to Betty. They’ve always been together, and if there was one opinion that mattered to Jughead at that moment, it was certainly that boy’s. He only wanted the best for Betty— they both did— but unlike Jughead, Kevin certainly had a clearer vision of things.

Even if it kinda sucked to have heard his words, better than anyone, the raven haired writer knew he had no right to ruin her happiness after what he did to her. He wanted her to be happy— Damn it, he wanted to be _the one_ to make her happy, but perhaps, that was not up to him anymore.

Perhaps, it was now up to The-Third-Period-Asshole.

“ Okay! I’ll see you later, Betsy!”

_Tch, as if._

How could that asshole not know that she hates being called Betsy? It reminds her of a cow’s name, and there was no way a guy like that would be able to make her smile. No, that guy could not be the one. Even the one from the 1st period was better with his weird, cuticles fetish.

Honestly, what was wrong with that school?

The bell finally rang and after muttering a ‘thank you’, Jughead let Kevin go to his class. A sigh escaped his lips, indicating he was certainly not excited about biology at that moment, and he finally turned to open his locker and grab his books. He span the combination, giving the locker a little bump in order to open, and took the green book that was lined next to his edition of Huckleberry Finn, which, for a moment, made him consider skipping classes so he could read a couple of chapters.

It would certainly help him calm down a little and help him think about what to do next.

A smirk crossed his face at the memory of Betty scolding him for hiding at his emergency closet under the stairs so he could avoid going to gym. She looked incredibly cute with that angry pout, and it was as if he could still hear the words she told him that day. She said something lik—

“ Jughead Jones, what on earth do you think you’re doing?”

His eyes snapped in shock. He certainly had that memory fresh in his head, but he didn’t know her voice would sound so clear in his head, as if she was standing right next to him. He tried to ignore it, at first, but the sudden poke he felt on his shoulder told him that, apart from being inside his head, there was a very mad blonde standing right behind him.

Oh, well…

It certainly took him some seconds to turn, but when he did, his eyes didn’t miss the angry features of her face. Her green eyes were glaring at him, her hands were on her hips and even if he tried not to think of how beautiful she was, Jughead didn’t miss the scold she was holding in her throat. He certainly didn’t know what he did in order to bring such reaction on her, but he couldn’t help but think it wasn’t all that bad. “ Betts… Hey, what’s wrong?”

“ What’s wrong? Oh, don’t play dumb on me! You know exactly what you did.”

“ Okay… If you’re talking about that time I glued Archie to his seat in first grade, then, I guess you can be mad. Though I gotta say he was trying to steal one of my stickers!”

“ So it really was you!!”

“ I was just a kid!” He threw his hands up in defeat, as the small girl glared at him furiously.

“ And so was Archie! God, Jughead! Though I-I’m not talking about this!”

“ You aren’t? Then why are you mad at me this time?”

“ Why do you keep glaring at them?”

“ What?” His expression went blank, as he really had no idea of what she was talking about. He knows he tends to glare at a lot of people, but at that moment, she would have to be a bit more specific.

“ You’ve heard me! Look, you broke up with me, remember? That takes away your right to be jealous, therefore you can’t keep glaring at every single guy that comes talk to me!”

“ Jealous? I’m not jealous! And I’m not glaring at all of the guys that talk to you! I-I didn’t even know there were guys talking to you!”

“ Jug, you’ve glared at the janitor yesterday.”

“ That guy looked like a predator. This school has a historic with these people.”

“ He was asking me about the recycling, trash cans!”

“ Well… At least he’s a green guy.” He smirked, certainly not missing the chance of making one if his trademark comments.

“ Jughead!”

“ Okay! Okay… I can’t help it, okay? Logic tells me I shouldn’t be acting like that, but I just can’t stop it! It’s stronger than me, Betty… Stronger than us.”

“ Tch, you’re impossible, Jughead!” She let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. Her eyes were adverting his, and after trapping her lower lip in between her teeth, the Cooper girl finally allowed her anger to die from her face. She looked calmer, now. She looked like she was feeling nostalgic and even a little mad at herself for not being mad at all, and even if he wanted to hug her at that moment and say something that would make her laugh; Jughead held back. He couldn’t make things worse, after all. “ Look… You’re gonna set the school on fire if you keep glaring at them. They fear you and the Serpents, and it won’t tale long before Reggie and the others decide to start a fight. People will get hurt and you—“

Betty stopped herself. She bit the insides of her mouth to keep any embarrassing word to leave her throat. She wanted to continue that phrase. God— she wanted to finish so many other phrases around him, and tell him she worried about his safety in the same way he worried about hers, but she knew she couldn’t. Not that time, and certainly not until he made the first move to fix things between them.

There was no denying he still held her heart, and she never made that a secret between them. He knew she still loved him and she knew her feelings were reciprocated, yet, they needed more than just love to take the next step on their relationship. They needed to get back their mutual trust and perfect connection, and that wouldn't happen until he brought back that courage he seemed to have lost.

This time, it was going to be up to him.

And he would better be fast, for she was already getting tired to pretend to like all the attention from those guys on her feet. She didn’t know for how long she would be able to keep up with that act, especially not when she could clearly see him there, with those beautiful, blue eyes and that provocative jealousy she somehow became to find hot.

God, that weirdo was going to be the end of the perfect, girl next door.

“ Betty… I—“

“ Ms. Cooper, we’re waiting for you.” The firm, judging words that came from her math teacher were enough to bring both of them back to reality. The middle-aged teacher was looking at her from the entrance of his class, and by the look on his face, he was certainly not happy to see his best student talking to a Serpent. He was tapping his foot on the floor, and at that moment, Betty realized she could not escape her destiny.

She finally shook her head, taking a deep breath before turning to face her teacher. “ I’m sorry, sir. I’m on my way.” Her eyes turned to meet his one more time, and at that moment, something different lit inside both of the teens. It was as if their eyes could talk, and they were definitely provoking and forcing each other to step out of that stupid comfort zone they had both entered after the beginning of that civil war. She nodded at him and he nodded back, and soon, she was walking away towards the classroom. He watched her all the way, and was impressed when she suddenly turned to face him one more time before entering the class. Her glare was back, but that time, it felt warm and kind just like it used to when they were together.

“ And don’t you dare skipping class, Jughead! Your book can wait!”

And so, as the teacher closed the door behind her, he allowed his lips to turn up in a smirk. He was impressed by how she had managed to use the same words from before, and even if that brought him a warm nostalgia, Jughead knew he couldn’t simply ignore all that had happened during that break. From his own feelings while he watched her with another guy, to Kevin’s words and, especially, the way their eyes met in that silent talk; Jughesad knew there was something new and important there that neither of them had dared to say.

Damn it— there were so many things they had yet to say to each other. So many things being repressed and ignored, and by two hearts that were so pure and young like theirs. It was too much for them to bare, and— fuck, they were both too tired of that.

Tired of acting like the adults their parents never were, and tired of sacrificing everything in order to keep the peace between two sides of a small town. They were tired of believing they would actually be safer if they were sadder.

Betty and Jughead were tired of keeping each other apart.

And at that moment, as he rescued his Huckleberry friend from his locker, Jughead Jones knew exactly what he was going to do.

* * *

Josh Summers was back. He had approached her the day before during the third period, and god— how she wanted him to shut up.

For the past 10 minutes he had been talking about all the different kinds of exercises to work his biceps, and all the times he called her ‘Betsy' made her feel like vomiting. She had already given up on paying attention to his words for a while now, choosing, instead, to smile and nod like a polite girl her mother once trained her to be. Her fingers were thumping against the cover of her history book, her ears were trying to find a different story on the hallway, and her eyes were desperately searching for _him_.

It had been over 24h since their intense conversation, and Betty was dying to spot that beanie in the middle of the sea of students that was now Riverdale High. She found herself looking for him the entire day, going to places she normally wouldn’t go, until she decided to simply wait for him to cross her path in the hallways of their lockers. When she got there, things were calm and silent around her, but it didn’t take long until Josh came around to ruin her peace.

Jocks, she thought.

How could she ever keep up a long conversation with a guy like that? The things he loves are the ones she despises, and she had lost count on how many grammar mistakes or slangs he had said so far.

There was no passion. There was no charm. God, there was no sarcasm in his words, and at that moment, she was begging for a literature reference to fill her ears like music.

One of the things she missed the most after their break up was definitely that intelligent way he handled the words. They would always be talking about important issues, their book discussions were thrilling and whenever he left her a note, she would spend hours admiring his lexical choices.

Jughead had certainly raised the bar too high in her life before he left, and she couldn’t help but hate him a little for that.

Fortunately, he was ready to come back and take the responsibilities over his actions.

“ So, Betsy, are you free this Friday night?”

“ Oh, Josh, I’m sorry, I—“

“ She’s kinda busy, man.” Jughead suddenly showed up from behind the girl, lazily resting his arm on her shoulder. There was a sly smirk on his face, and she couldn’t help but feel flustered when he winked at her.

Oh, that boy…

“ Excuse me?” Josh started, trying stand up for his ground. “ Who are you to answer for her, Jones?”

“ Well, I’m the guy who will be taking her out this Friday Night. Just for your information.”

“ Yeah, right…” Josh smirked, not believing the raven haired boy’s words. “ Betty is a good girl. She would never go out with a thug like you.”

“ Hey, Josh!” She started, her cheeks puffing in anger. “ He’s not a—“

“ It’s okay, Betts. He’s right. I’m a thug. I’m the future leader of the Serpents, and that certainly makes me a bad guy.”

“ Of course it does. You’re no good for her.”

“ You’re probably right about that.”

“Jug…” She whispered in concern as her eyes were looking for his.

“ I know I’m no good for her, but hey… It’s not like you’re not making any progress here, Ol’Mcdonald.”

A giggle escaped Betty’s lips, and Jughead couldn’t help but smile at that. They were both exchanging those secretive looks of theirs, and seeing how lost Josh was just made things a lot funnier at that moment.

When it comes to Betty Cooper, no one can beat Jughead Jones.

Especially not The-Third-Period-Asshole.

“What's so funny, Jones?”

“ Oh, don’t worry… It’s probably too much for your brain.”

“ You… You don’t know who you’re messing with, you freak. I can—“

“ You can what?” Jughead started, leaning forward to glare at the jock. His eyes suddenly turned colder and intimidating, and it was as if the entire hallway went mute. During those past few weeks, he had certainly learned a thing or two from the Serpents, and if anything, he was never going to let people intimidate him again. He was not afraid of that guy.

That guy was afraid of him.

“ I-I… I will—“

“ I can’t hear you, man… Try using simple words like 'I’m sorry’ or just ‘okay’. And keep your voice down. Serpents don’t like loud noises.”

A drop of sweat ran down the back of his neck, and Jughead didn’t know exactly what changed his mind, but after muttering a really low ‘okay’, Josh walked away without even saying goodbye to Betty. He figured others wearing leather jackets had showed up behind him, and that image only made him hold up that smirk he had plastered on his face as they simply watched Josh walking away in such a hurried pace. All the other students that had witnessed the show were left confused, but ended up minding their own lives in fear of being tracked by one of the gang members.

Apparently, Kevin was right. The students really were afraid of him, and even if he wasn’t a fan of that situation, it would have to do for the time being.

If they were afraid, then, at least, they would keep him alone. And after that little show, they would also keep _her_ alone.

Oh, but she wouldn’t keep him alone, for sure.

“ Jughead Jones, what did I tell you about scaring people!?” She was mad at him, her brows knitting down as she sent him the famous Cooper glare.

“ Oh, Betts…” His expression softened, and after taking his arm from her shoulder, he used his hand to scratch the back of his neck. “ What else was I supposed to do?”

“ I don’t know. Maybe being polite? God, that guy is terrified right now.”

“ Well, at least he won’t keep calling you Betsy anymore.” He smirked at her, and he could see how hard she tried to hold back her own smile after that.

“ That’s true, but scaring him felt a little too much.”

“ Trust me, Betts. He’s a big boy who knows how to clean himself. I’m sure he will be fine.”

“ Gosh, Jug…” She sighed, her lips finally lifting up a bit as she leaned her back against the locker. Her eyes searched for his, and at that moment, it was as if the whole threatening words had simply lost their importance for her. There was a soft expression on her face, and as she looked at him, he could feel himself slowly being pulled towards by her sweet magnetism. “ Why did you even do that for? I mean, I know you were bothered by him yesterday, but why suddenly changing into attacking mode?”

Jughead suddenly felt something changing inside of him. He hadn’t noticed before, but she was looking extremely gorgeous that morning. Her golden ponytail was as tight as ever, her eyes were shining with a kind spark, and her heart shaped lips looked especially soft as she stood less than an arm-length away from him. He could feel his eyes drafting from her eyes to her lips, and before he knew it, he was standing a lot closer than before, for her perfume was invading his nostrils now.

She smelled like summer, in a pure scent of vanilla and strawberry, and suddenly, he found himself lost in that game they’ve been playing for a while now. The words wouldn’t form in his head, and again, Jughead didn’t know how to actually answer that question.

Well, at least not with proper words.

The boy took one, deep breath before finally leaning in to press his lips against hers. It was soft— as he had expected— and he could feel a bunch of emotions rushing back in into his heart at the long lost touch. Even if he had been the one to make the move, the blonde answered that kiss almost immediately, and he could feel her smiling against his lips.

Betty was kissing him back. Damn it, he was actually kissing Betty after so long.

It was a chaste kiss for he was very aware of the eyes that were set on them, but it was still a kiss he wouldn’t forget that soon. Their lips moved in synch, and he didn’t really know when his hands found their way to her waist. He was pulling her closer with a certain pressure on his fingertips, and he knew if they didn’t stop that soon enough, he would certainly need to use the janitor’s room.

_Sigh_ Hormones…

They soon parted that kiss, but their faces still remained pretty close to one another. Soft smiles were gracing their lips, and if not for the bell ringing on the background, neither of them would’ve moved from that incredibly comfortable position.

“ Finally…” Betty whispered. His lips turned into a smirk, for he knew she was not talking about the history class she would have up next.

“ I guess I needed a little push.”

“ You certainly did… Who would’ve thought all you needed was some competition, right, Juggie?” She teased, still not able to drop that silly smile that had taken over her lips.

“ Competition? Pff.. As if. None of those guys have a beanie as awesome as mine.”

She chuckled, taking her fingers to his face so she could play with his loosened lock of hair. She looked at his crown shaped beanie, too, but suddenly returned her gaze to his eyes. “ I guess you have a point… You know I’ve always had a thing for hats.”

“ That’s elementary, my dear Watson.”

Her cheeks turned redder, and at that moment, Betty could certainly say she was happy. Having him there, with her and making all those comments felt just too good and natural, as if he had never really stopped. She had missed his lips so much, and oh— she couldn’t wait for school to be over so they could make up for the lost time.

They were both happy at that moment, for they knew they were exactly where they should be. They were together and in love, and at that moment, nothing else mattered.

No Black Hood. No Serpents and certainly, no Third-Period-Asshole.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you've enjoyed this one! Please, tell me your opinion, and if you ever want to discuss anything, hit me on tumblr on @bugheadjones-the-third !


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